House Democrats are demanding a reckoning after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent over $500,000 backing a candidate in Arizona who is on track to lose her primary. Why it matters: This is the third time in 2026 the House Democratic campaign arm has tried and failed to intervene in a party primary, leading some lawmakers to argue that its money is better spent elsewhere. - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a top DCCC dues payer , said the party should be "rationing our resources to win general elections," calling for "a conversation about ... what the involvement in primaries looks like." - "That's $100,000 that I put in," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) said of her dues, arguing that the DCCC "shouldn't be spending…
Moderate House Democrats are warning they're prepared for "war" if incoming progressives and democratic socialists try to hijack the House floor to secure ideological concessions. Why it matters: This strategy would mean even more work for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to tamp down divisions and keep his caucus unified come 2027. - Despite being generally more closely aligned with Jeffries than the progressive wing, these centrists say they cannot allow their party to be dragged to the left without a fight. - "Clearly there has to be organization," one centrist House Democrat told Axios. "You can't just wring your hands on this stuff." - "There's going to be a war," a second centrist lawmaker said, calling the…
An impending House vote to constrain the Trump administration from joining Israel's war in Lebanon has some Democrats fuming that one of their own members is forcing them to take an agonizing vote. Why it matters: That anger could cost the measure, introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), a significant amount of crucial Democratic support. - The vote has attracted far more widespread opposition within the party than Iran war powers resolutions, according to numerous lawmakers and aides familiar with the behind-the-scenes dynamic. - "People are not happy," one senior House Democrat told Axios, "that she is making people take this vote." State of play: The House is scheduled to vote this week both on both a Democratic leadership-led…
A cohort of resistance-minded House Democrats is pushing their colleagues to begin building the case against President Trump now in anticipation of a Day 1 impeachment vote if they retake the House. Why it matters: The mere existence of this movement demonstrates just how much pressure lawmakers who have not yet gotten on board with impeachment will face in January of 2027. - "This is something that I keep saying to our leadership ... we need to have a very concrete, coordinated strategy," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios. - The Illinois Democrat said the party should "build up the case so that when we are in power in January, we've created the conditions ... we've done the fact-checking, we've done the shadow hearings,…
House Democrats chose not to force a vote this week to block President Trump from unilaterally waging war with Iran in part out of fear that they still lacked the votes to pass the measure, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The move is frustrating the Democratic grassroots, with some progressive groups and lawmakers fuming over the fact that another vote won't be possible until mid-April. - Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios there is "absolutely" frustration among lawmakers on the left that an Iran war powers resolution didn't get a vote this week. - "Democrats should absolutely be forcing Republicans to vote on stopping this war as urgently as possible," Andrew O'Neill, national advocacy director at the progressive group…
Progressives plan to exert more pressure in Democratic congressional primaries to get the left to coalesce behind one viable candidate rather than split the vote and create an opening for moderates, Axios has learned. Why it matters: This new strategy reflects how progressives are adapting after a bruising Illinois primary night in which they won just one of the four open House races they were targeting. - It was a disappointing result for the left after their shock win in a New Jersey special election last month to replace now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill. - "I think because we had these wins, the progressive movement is like, 'Okay, we're going to win everywhere,'" Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios. - The California Democrat, who endorsed…
Attorney General Pam Bondi may suffer the most collateral damage from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's firing , with congressional Democrats now saying it gives them space to focus their criticism and scrutiny squarely on her. Why it matters: Bondi has already faced intense flak from Congress over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, with lawmakers in both parties accusing her of being insufficiently transparent. - Five Republicans on the House Oversight Committee voted with Democrats on Wednesday to subpoena Bondi to testify about the Epstein matter. - And Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) on Thursday introduced articles of impeachment against Bondi, charging her with obstruction of Congress and dereliction of duty for withholding Epstein…
House Democrats are facing increasingly frustrated demands from their left flank not to give the Trump administration another inch on ICE funding . Why it matters: That could mean shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, which is set to run out of cash on Friday unless Congress agrees to a funding stopgap. - "Shut it down, shut it down, shut it down," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) told Axios, "and maybe, maybe, they'll take us serious and understand that we are unwilling to negotiate some minimal crap." - "The Democrats have got to be really, really strong about stopping Trump's authoritarianism and reining in ICE," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a phone interview. - Members of the progressive group MoveOn "haven't budged…